Donald Trump Jr. criticized a Washington Post analysis of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show that claimed it displayed “wholesome, traditional family values” by citing lyrics that he didn’t sing.
Trump on Monday highlighted some of the lyrics to “Safaera,” the 2020 song by Bad Bunny, Ñengo Flow, and Jowell & Randy. The verse Trump Jr. called attention to—sung by Ñengo Flow in the studio version—was omitted during Sunday’s show.
“Here’s the lyrics. Please explain the wholesomeness in here,” Trump Jr., 48, wrote, along with the English translation of that verse. “Maybe the 30% layoffs at WAPO weren’t nearly enough,” he added, referring to last week’s layoffs of some 300 journalists at the Jeff Bezos-owned paper.
The verse that Bad Bunny sang was the fourth, parts of which were censored during the broadcast.
The Washington Post piece did not specifically mention any lyrics to “Safaera.” Instead, it noted how Bad Bunny made some Puerto Rico-centric political allusions.
“But in general, the show had the kind of wholesome, traditional family values that would have fit right in with some of the more sentimental commercials that appeared during the game,” author Shane O’Neill wrote, citing the wedding.
“This remained a PG-rated affair with about as much dirtiness to the dancing as there was in the 1987 movie ‘Dirty Dancing.’” he continued. “The backup dancers were wild and exuberant but well short of lurid. Same for Bad Bunny, who offered trademark grabs of his crotch while singing about an anaconda and inspired pelvic gyrations.”
A representative for The Washington Post did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Neither did reps for the two rappers, or the Trump Organization, where Trump is executive vice president.
Bad Bunny’s all-Spanish show drew plenty of criticism on the right, naturally, but some were forced to acknowledge that the 31-year-old rapper wasn’t as radical as he could have been.
FBI Director Kash Patel’s singer-girlfriend Alexis Wilkins suggested the GOP needed to improve its messaging as a result.
“We all thought Bad Bunny was going to come out in a dress that said ICE OUT - but he didn’t. This would’ve all been easier to message if he did. They’re pulling the unity trope and we can’t let them have it,” she wrote on X.
Former Trump press aide Harrison Fields wasn’t buying claims that the rapper’s show was un-American, writing on X: “Last time I checked, my Puerto Rico-born grandmother was a full American citizen — and she voted for Trump."
And ex-Trump campaign official Vianca Rodriguez hit back at right-wing radio host Larry Elder for writing, “Where’s ICE when you need them.” Rodriguez responded: “Way to go alienating your Puerto Rican conservative base.”
